Manifest Destiny
at the Library Street Collective, July 20, 2019 to October 5, 2019
Manifest Destiny, curated by Ingrid LaFleur, examined the implementation of the cultural movement Afrofuturism to alter destinies within Detroit and beyond. Inspired by the 400 year anniversary of West African captives brought to the Jamestowne settlement in Virginia, Manifest Destiny honored the legacy of Black-bodied people to forge their own destiny regardless of circumstance.
Manifest Destiny brought together 12 artists that explored new modes of thinking, planning, and building for the Afrofuture. The exhibit included film and sculpture by Maikoiyo Alley-Barnes, painting by Satch Hoyt, collage by Manzel Bowman, sculpture by Detroit native Jasmine Murrell, public art by Alisha Wormsley, and the virtual reality project NeuroSpeculative AfroFeminism by Hyphen Labs. In addition to the exhibition, the programming included a workshop series that excavated invisible histories of Black bodied self-determination. The infamous billboard There Are Black People in the Future by Alisha Wormsley was on display above Queens Bar in downtown Detroit.
Manifest Destiny featured the boutique DINKINESH created by Ingrid LaFleur and designed by artist Utē Petit. DINKINESH sold Afrofuturist paraphernalia with the goal to support the Heidelberg Arts Leadership Academy and their program to send youth to Ghana. DINKINESH is the name given to the oldest human remains found thus far, otherwise known as Lucy in the west. Excavated in Ethiopia, DINKINESH in Amharic means, “You are marvelous,” the mantra for the boutique. By resurrecting this ancient history, DINKINESH created an origin point that is resource rich and abundant and serves as the entrance to Manifest Destiny, a warm welcome into the Afrofuture where visitors are reminded simultaneously of their individual beauty and the origin of all humanity.
To ensure Detroiters had access to participatory Afrofuture experiences, LaFleur enlisted Lady PheOnix of YES UNIVERSE to bring the traveling exhibition Digitalia to the Belt in downtown Detroit. This was the first stop on the exhibition tour. Digitalia presented augmented reality artwork by Francois Beaurain and Medina Dugger, Manzel Bowman, KESH, Trevor Stuurman, and Kyle Yearwood.
Manifest Destiny opened with an artist reception on Saturday, July 20, 2019 with a consecutive event in the Belt Alley that included music performances by Bryce Detroit, Kesswa, and Tunde Olaniran. The project was generously supported by The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.